Said ellis



May 8, 1928.

C- ELLIS ET AL APPARATUS FOR TREATING FILMS Filed March 12. 1924 :I IN VENTOR Patented May 8, 1928.

warren res rarest caries.

GARLETON ELLIS AND HARRY M. WEBER, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY; SAID ELLIS ASSIGNOR TO ELLIS-FOSTER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING FILMS.

Application filed March 12, 1924. Serial No. 698,678.

g This invention relates to apparatus for treating moving picture film and other photographic film to remove the emulsion therefrom whereby the silver contained therein may be recovered and the nitrocellulose film basis utilized in various ways.

The apparatus involves primarily means allowing a continuous method. of feeding film such as used moving picture film through a zone where it is subjected to a moistening treatment, preferably an alkalme solution preferably hot in order to soften and dislodge the gelatin coating and after thelatter has been suitably removed by rubbing, brushing, squeezing or similar treatment, washing off any of the alkaline material which may have been used as the softening liquid and thereupon drying such film, the entire operation preferably being conducted continuously under conditions minimizing the fire risk or hazard to a sub stantial degree.

The invention will be illustrated by reference to the appended drawing which shows in vertical sectionan apparatus which is adapted for carrying out the foregoing process. In the drawing 1 is the film, 2 being the shaft on which the reel of film to be cleaned is mounted. 3 is a steel magazine having a hinged cover 4 and safety rollers 5. 6 is'a guide roller, 8 is a movable guide roller having tripping arm 7 39 being shaft on whichtripping arm is mounted. 12 is a tank or vat containing the aqueous softening liquor 14 which is heated by means of coils 38. 9 is a movable agitator geared to a stationary agitator 11 having a tripping arm 10. Stationary agitator 11 is operated by means of motor 30 mounted on framework of apparatus 31. 13 and 15 are guide rollers. 16 is a vat or trough for catching the wash waters having outlet 39 17 and 18 are wash water jets. 19 is a guide roller. 20 is a wringer roll for removing excess of moisture from the wet film having tripping arm 21' and tension adjusting nut and bolt 32. 22is a hot box having steam coils 23. 24 is a guide roller. 25 is the reel of cleaned film mounted on shaft 26. 27 is a steel magazine having hinged cover 28 and safety rollers 29. 33 is a motor for driving reducing gears 35 by means of driving belt or chain 34 which in turn drives the take-up reels and wringer rolls by means of driving belts or chains 36 and 37. The driving mechanism as shown in the drawing is for illustration purposes only as any" suitable method or means may be used for this purpose.

In the operation of the apparatus as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 film to be cleaned is mounted on shaft 2 in one of the magazines as shown in the drawing. The film is fed through the safety rolls 5 over guide roll 6. In order to eliminate the necessity of passing the film under the guide roller 8 and movable agitator 9 while they are immersed in the hot feeding medium, the roller and agitator are raised by means of the tripping arms 7 and 10 clear of the solution. The film is then passed over guide roller 13, under guide roller 15 between wash water jets 17 and 18 through wringer rolls 20,

through hot box 22, under guide roller 24. W through safety rollers 29 and attached to i the take-up reel. The caustic soda solution is first heated to 8590 C. the film lowered into the hot solution by raising the tripping arm and the movable agitator dropped into place. The covers of both magazines are then closed and the film is then passed slow- 1y by means of suitable driving device through the various steps of the process. The agitator is then revolved at about 4:00 R. P. M. and in this manner the hot aqueous alkaline solution is thrown against the surface of the film removing the silver containing emulsion. The film then passes on to the wash water jets where it is washed free of any caustic liquors which may have been carried by the film mechanically, the waste wash water passing into the wash water receiving tank. The wash water being preferably hot in order to prevent coagulation and thereby interfere with the removal of any small quantity of gelatin which may have adhered to the film. The film then passes through wringer rolls 20 where the greater proportion of moisture is removed. It then passes through the hot box where any moisture remaining on the film is removed by evaporation, and then passes through the safety rollers onto the take-upre el. When the supply of film to becleaned on the first reel is almost exhausted a fresh the continuity of the process is overcome. The shaft on which the exhausted reels of film were mounted is recharged with additional reels of film to be cleaned and these in turn attached to the end of the reels of film in the second magazine as fast as they become exhausted. On, the take up. side of the apparatus, as the reels become of any desired size the film is cut and attached to the second take up reel. The shaft upon which the filled takcupreels are mounted is. removed from the magazine, the cleaned filmv removed from the shaft and the shaft replaced in. the magazine ready for the film to be attached when the reels of film on the second shaft have attained the desired size.

In case the film outside of, the magazine is accidentally ignited through any cause whatsoever the safety rollers 5 and 29 prevent the film from burning back to the feed ortake-up reels and as an added precaution a. sprinkler system; (not shown) for drenchingthe reelsin the magazine may be provided... lnthismanner the fire risk or hazard is. minimized inasmuch as only the film which might be passing from the feed magazines to the alkaline softening liquor and that film passing from the wringer through thezhot box to the take-up magazine could burn.

By. constructing the hot box of steel which issuitably heat-insulated by means of any suitable insulating material the fire risk could be further reduced. Viledo not wish tolimit ourselves to the use of a hot alkaline solution as the emulsion can also be removed by theuse of steam, boiling water, a hot salt solution, a hotacid solution etc. We have found however that. in using boiling water or steam there is a certain amount of shrinkage of the film depending upon the length of time that the film is subjected to the high temperature involved by the use of boiling water which is-objcctionable when the film is tobe resensitized and used for the manufacture of motion picture film. However, when the film is to be used for other: purposes such as lacquers, artificial leather coatings etc. the shrin age of the film. is. immaterial.

The foregoing application contains sub jectmatter common'to our copcnding application, Serial No. 522,915.

The foregoing description involves many details but such explicit description should not be interpreted as a limitation with respect to the subject matter of the present invention. The latter broadly speaking is for apparatus for stripping the emulsion from moving picture film or other celluloid or analogousfilm which apparatus; comprises a receptacle adapted to contain an aqueous medium or means for applying such aqueous medi'ui'n which preferably is heated, means for progressively moving the film through such medium or into contact with such medium whereby the emulsion is softened and scrubbing device or other means for removing' the softened emulsion, The apparatus preferably includes means for. washing and drying the stripped film.

It should be noted that the present invention enables films to be stripped in what may be termed a continuous manner, that iswliile thefilm is in motion and continuously advancing it is subjected to a series of operations designed to soften, scrub and dry the film so that the operation has a substantial degree of continuity. This is in contrast to any method whereby abulky mass of film is thrown into. a. tank, boiled with water to soften and remove the emulsion, washed and dried in batches. In the present invention one end ofa long roll of film may be started through the apparatus and the: film feeding from the roll will. progress continuously through the apparatus and be treated continuously and successively in the manner aforesaid.

What we claim. is 1.. Apparatus for strippingthe emulsio fromcelluloid. film which. comprises a receptacle adapted. to containan aqueous stripping medium, means for heatin said medium, means, for continuously passing the film through. such heated medium whereby the emulsion issoftened, mcansfor removing the softened emulsion and means for washing and dryin said. film.

2. Apparatus for stripping moving picture film comprising a receptacle adapted to contain an aqueous medium, means-for progressively moving said. film through such medium whereby the emulsion. of said film is softened, means for removing the softened emulsion, and, means for dryingthe stripped film.

3. In apparatusfor stripping moving picture film, thecombination of' means for applying an aqueous softening medium to said .film, means: for removingthe softened emulsion, and means for, drying the treated CARLETON ELLIS; HARRY M. WEBER. 

